POLICE OCCUPATIONAL STANDING - PRESTIGE AND BENEFITS

• NCJ Number: 53022
• Journal: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1974) Pages: 95-98
• Author(s): B SWANTON; P R WILSON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: Butterworth Pty Ltd
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

THE RELATIVE DEGREE OF SOCIAL PRESTIGE AND PERCEIVED IMPORTANCE OF AUSTRALIAN POLICE PERSONNEL TO SOCIETY IS EXAMINED.

Abstract

TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WOULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY WHICH ARE REPRESENTED BY POLICE RANKS AND TITLES, AND NOT 'LUMP TOGETHER' THE ROLES OF POLICE PERSONNEL, A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED INVOLVING 146 STUDENTS. THE AUSTRALIAN STUDY REPLICATED A PRIOR INQUIRY IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH DIVIDED THE CONCEPT OF 'POLICEMAN' INTO ITS COMPONENT CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO RANK. IT WAS CONJECTURED THAT IN EARLY RESEARCH WHICH PLACED THE RELATIVE OCCUPATIONAL STANDING OF 'POLICEMAN' BELOW WHITE COLLAR GROUPS AND ABOVE MOST BLUE COLLAR GROUPS, THE RESPONDENTS INTERPRETED THE CONCEPT OF 'POLICEMAN' ACCORDING TO THE MOST VISIBLE SYMBOL OF THE PROFESSION WHICH IS THE PATROLMAN. THE LOWEST REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POLICE HIERARCHY WAS THEREFORE USED BY THE RESPONDENTS TO ASSESS THE ENTIRE OCCUPATION. THE U.S. STUDY AND THE AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH DESIGN INCLUDED 5 SEPARATE POLICE RANKS ON A LIST OF 18 OTHER OCCUPATIONS WHICH WERE THEN ORDERED BY THE RESPONDENTS ACCORDING TO SOCIAL PRESTIGE. THE 5 POLICE COMPONENTS WERE SPREAD OVER 10 RANKINGS IN THE U.S. STUDY AND 13 RANKINGS IN THE AUSTRALIAN STUDY. THERE WAS CLOSE CORRELATION BETWEEN RANKS OF THE AUSTRALIAN POLICE INTO THE WHITE COLLAR CATEGORY. APPARENT DISCREPANCIES IN RESULTS MAY REFLECT THE FACT THAT DIFFERENCES EXIST IN THE RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED TO U.S. AND AUSTRALIAN PERSONNEL. IN A FURTHER STUDY OF THE AUSTRALIAN STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF THE RELATIVE BENEFIT TO SOCIETY OF SELECTED OCCUPATIONS, POLICE OFFICERS WERE LUMPED TOGETHER WITHIN A SPREAD OF ONLY SIX RANKINGS, LARGELY IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE LIST. THE HYPOTHESIS THAT STUDENTS WOULD CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF POLICE TO SOCIETY AS BEING GREATER THAN THEIR PRESTIGE WAS NOT CONFIRMED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)